


Monster

by WeeBeeGalaxy



Series: Philza and His Boys [1]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Brothers, Descriptions of Blood, Family, Mentions of Violence, Philza being a dad, Techno and Wilbur being classic siblings, sleepy bois inc - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:14:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27750616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WeeBeeGalaxy/pseuds/WeeBeeGalaxy
Summary: "Dad had a rule not to fight the monsters if they didn’t have to. Not to look for a fight with them. It could be very dangerous and he didn’t want either of them to lose their lives… but recently, Techno hadn’t been listening.He needed the swordsmanship practice. He needed to beat Wilbur."-Techno is tired of his older brother always beating him when they spar together.
Relationships: Technoblade & Philza, Technoblade & Wilbur Soot
Series: Philza and His Boys [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2032711
Comments: 109
Kudos: 866





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! This fanfiction is inspired by an animatic I saw on tiktok by @pyrrhic_geese! You should check it out if you haven't already!  
> Can't believe it finally made me cave and write for Minecraft men... hope you all enjoy!

Wilbur was better than him when they sparred. For years and years, that’s how it would go, and he would tease his twin brother about it whenever he had him pinned and held the sword to his neck. It used to be wooden, but now their father allowed them to practice with iron swords and yet _still_ Techno failed to win. Sure, he was improving, he’d get more hits past him, but it was like Wilbur was still a step ahead of him and always got him on his knees.

Philza often needed to watch them spar and end it before Techno got too frustrated since the man knew that the teenager would refuse to give up. Techno would fight Wilbur night and day until he won if he could. Their father also frequently told Wilbur off for teasing and reassured Techno that he was good, that he’d beaten Philza at sparring many times, but the words fell on deaf ears for both of the boys. 

Wilbur simply enjoyed the pride of winning too much to let his winning streak go uncelebrated and Techno was too sick and tired of feeling weak against his brother to care about wins against anyone else. Especially his father since he knew the man would probably let his 15-year-old son win to avoid him going off on a fit of rage.

Letting him win may have worked when he was under 10, but it didn’t anymore.

Techno stared into the small stream, the night filled with only the sounds of it flowing and the gentle crackles of fading flame from the fire at their nearby camp behind him. Well, those noises and their father’s snores but time and practice had taught Techno to block out that sound if he ever wanted to fall asleep after Philza. They’d been in this camp for a few days now… they’d probably pack up soon and move again too like they always did. Never stuck around one place long. Though occasionally they spent months in towns or cities, Techno was certain Philza just got bored too easily. He didn’t mind, he did too.

The night was clear… nice… though he knew beyond the light that surrounded them there was danger. Monsters.

Dad had a rule not to fight the monsters if they didn’t have to. Not to look for a fight with them. It could be very dangerous and he didn’t want either of them to lose their lives… but recently, Techno hadn’t been listening.

He needed the swordsmanship practice. He needed to beat Wilbur. And just using their occasional sparring sessions to further his skill obviously wasn’t enough. So, he’d been fighting the monsters instead of sleeping almost every night for the last few months. He’d just catch the last few hours of sleep as the sun started to rise and pretend he’d slept all night. Dad wasn’t stupid though. He had spoken his concern about the bags under his eyes, asked in that soft voice full of concern as he cupped his cheek if he’d been sleeping. He lied. Said it was nightmares and refused to say much more on the subject. Every time he did his chest felt like it was lined a little thicker with lead. He could see it in his father’s eyes, he knew Techno was lying, yet instead, he’d just smile and change the subject.

He never pushed it. Techno wondered if he’d still feel that way if he knew that the teen was breaking his cardinal rule.

Anyway, Techno supposed it wasn’t a complete lie… on the nights he didn’t fight until the exhaustion seeped into his bones and made his eyes heavy, he did have nightmares. He’d always had, they were kid stuff. Nightmares about monsters. But they’d started getting bad after he started fighting in the night. Dreams of skeletons surrounding him and piercing his flesh with arrows, filling him with holes. Zombies ripping him to shreds, taking whole bites out of his side. Creepers blowing off limbs and leaving nothing left. Spiders crawling over his skin and hissing so loud he felt like he’d never hear anything else ever again. The worst was the endermen though… making that horrific sound, disappearing and reappearing again. There would be hundreds and he’d just be a young boy with a wooden sword again, crying for his Daddy to come to save him… No, it was better to stay awake and practice fighting the monsters. Killing them would help…

Right?

He picked up his iron sword, looking up to the sky as it slowly lightened. Soon the monsters would either vanish back to their underground dwellings or burn to ash as the sun hit them. Some would remain safe under the line of trees, but usually, Philza made short work of any of those that were near his sons first thing in the morning. He was always up first. Always protecting them. Techno wished he could do the same for him. 

He dragged the sword over the dirt, letting its weight leave a line in the mud as it parted the grass, and walked over to a sleeping bag. His limbs were tired and his eyebags had bags under them. But this sleeping bag was not his, no. He was not sleeping the last few hours away like he usually did.

For tonight, when impaling a zombie with his now dried but bloody iron sword, he realised he wasn’t scared of them like before. He wasn’t running. Something in his brain snapped and he _liked it._ No. He _loved it_. The feeling of adrenaline rushing through him. He was no longer afraid of fighting them. For tonight, he was ready.

He was ready and he couldn’t wait.

He nudged the body inside the sleeping bag with his foot firmly but gently, watching as the floppy hair teen turned in his sleep. He stirred but did not yet wake up. His brother, his twin, was always someone that Techno looked up to. He wasn't really his twin, at least not biologically, but that was a story for a different time. As a young kid, taken from the streets into his now father’s warm embrace, Wilbur was always there. Bigger and better and smarter than him. And in most things he didn’t mind. Wilbur helped him learn how to read, Wilbur helped him work past the lisp caused by his lower tusks not quite sitting in his mouth right, Wilbur helped increase his confidence in social situations. But when Wilbur beat him in sparring, for some reason that was what grated him wrong.

It made sense at first, of course, Techno had been a runt of a kid and Wilbur had more coordination, but now? It was just embarrassing.

Dad said it was because he’d had more practice, had started fighting earlier than him, but who had the practice now.

He smiled an almost sinister grin.

He kicked his brother harder, this time releasing a groan from the teen and causing him to squint his eyes open in the low light. Success!

“Techno…?” He greeted, voice groggy with sleep and confusion. They may all be used to early rises, but not when it was still dark. Dad never risked leaving their safely lit zone when it was still dark.

The half pig boy hushed him and squatted down so he blocked his brother’s vision from anything else. Their dad may sleep like the dead sometimes and snore like an animal, but one even slightly off sound from one of his boys or the groan from a zombie and he was up faster than Techno had ever seen anyone rise. He was simultaneously the lightest and the heaviest sleeper he’d ever met, but Techno guessed that wasn’t saying much considering he didn’t know a lot of other people. Anyway, he didn’t want to wake up his still snoring father.

“Sshh… Come spar with me.”

“What? But it’s-”

“I’ve taken some of Dad’s torches and lit up a place, it’s not dangerous.” He whispered back as a promise. He needed to have a chance to spar before Dad woke up. He didn’t need to be watched like a child. He needed to show how grown up he was by taking all of this into his own hands.

Wilbur groaned and just turned in his sleeping back so his back was facing Techno. His brows furrowed and he frowned deeply, but Wilbur couldn’t see him.”Wake me up in a few hours and then maybe I’ll have the energy to kick your ass, go back to sleep.”

Techno huffed before pausing. He knew what would get him up. He straightened up again as he stood and lifted his iron sword so it was resting against his shoulder instead. He turned his tone nonchalant instead. 

“Fine. I guess if you refuse my invitation to duel, I win by default.”

Wilbur shifted a little under the covers and Techno could see one of his eyes open to look at him. He suppressed a smirk.

“That’s not going to work, Techno.”

“If you say so. So sad that your incredible winning streak ended just to catch a couple extra hours of sleep…” The teen turned to walk away. “Anyway, I’m going to go practice at the clearing I mentioned, later-”

“Wait.” Techno didn’t suppress his smirk this time as he turned to look back at his brother who had sat up. He looked determined now. Almost cocky. If only he knew how good Techno had gotten. “Let me grab my glasses and sword.”

All going to plan… They just needed to finish and get back to bed before dad woke up. It was a foolproof plan.

What could go wrong?

\---

“Techno, maybe we should just go back… Dad is going to be awake soon, you know he’s always awake before us at sunrise.” Wilbur spoke, clearly wanting to avoid trouble as they made their way to the clearing Techno had set up. They each held a torch in hand to scare off any monsters and kept their eyes peeled for any too bold. Especially creepers since sunlight didn’t harm them in the same way.

“We’ll be fine.”

“No, _you’ll_ be fine. You never get in trouble! I do, there’s a difference. If I have to clean your dirty laundry for a second time just because you-!”

“Shush.” Both boys stopped as they arrived in another clearing in the woods, similar to the one they’d just set up camp in but a little smaller. “We’re here.” Other than the torches having been placed to lit up the area, it had been unchanged. Hopefully, it was just far enough away from camp that they could be loud and not wake up their father earlier than necessary. 

Both teenagers set down the extra torches they’d brought and wordlessly situated themselves on different sides of the clearing. They’d done this enough times to know the drill. But something was… different in the air today. Techno wondered if Wilbur felt it. The way the wind almost whispered in his ears, the feeling of the sword in his hands and the way his eyes focused on Wilbur. It was different. It was all different. Today he’d be victorious.

His brother didn’t look like he’d noticed, however, casually stretching like he always did before sparring. Techno stood there unmoving, eyes unfocused and hands gripping the iron sword so tightly his knuckles were turning white. His breathing came out in slow bursts as if he’d just been running. 

“Are you okay?” Wilbur asked, calmly picking up his sword though his gaze was concerned. Why would he be concerned?

“Yes.” He’d never felt more alive.

His blood was pumping, his head was screaming. He was going to win.

“When was the last time you slept?” He was asked, Wilbur finally picking up on the suddenly strange turn his twin had taken. He lowered his sword a little as if he was considering dropping it. No. No, no no, NO. HE COULDN’T PUT IT DOWN. HE COULDN’T WIN IF WILBUR DIDN’T FIGHT HIM. “Maybe I should get Da-”

Just like that, Techno was running at him, sword raised with a yell, and though Wilbur had been caught off guard he raised his sword just in time to block and the sparring began.

After his little slip-up, in the beginning, Wilbur started to get back into the focus of the fight and returned to the rhythm that he usually settled in. It was a good and strong rhythm but Techno had realised that's what it was. A rhythm. A pattern. Something that could be thrown off, be predicted. All this time, he’d been losing when his brother was actually oh so predictable.

“Bloody hell, Techno!” His twin exclaimed as he just narrowly blocked another blow the pigman had thrown at him, eyes wide in surprise. Last time they’d sparred had been months ago, before Techno had started practising with monsters. Oh, how he’d improved in that time. Improving was easy when you were fighting for your life.

Techno let out an almost hysterical laugh as he casually pushed Wilbur’s stance back a few steps and managed to advance on him, catching another surprised look from the teen.

Only… was that surprise? It looked a bit off. It was almost… concerned? No. Not that one. It was something else… but Techno didn’t care enough at that moment to figure it out.

“O-Okay.” Wilbur stammered, his grip on his sword becoming shaky. Yes! This was it! Techno was winning! He was going to do it! Just a little further. “Okay, Techno… I surrender. I lose, you win, is that what you want to hear?” 

Wilbur’s words fell on deaf ears as Techno opened his mouth in a combination of a sick grin and a sneer, bearing his lower tusks as he did so. His eyes were wide and almost feral as he ignored the fact he had already won and swung his sword, catching Wilbur in the side. The 15-year-old cried out in pain and fear, dropped his sword as he clutched at his side. The yell was so loud birds flew from the nearby trees.

He fell back onto the slightly damp morning grass, trying to stop the bleeding with just his hands before looking back at Techno.

Wilbur’s eyes, full of that unknown emotion, looked between his large bleeding wound seeping through his sweater and his brother. “Haha… v-very funny…” He pretended, giving a fake laugh as he swallowed heavily. “You beat me…”

Techno wasn’t seeing straight. His mind had gone into autopilot. He’d been winning fights against monsters for months, winning wasn’t when they were wounded.

_Winning was when they were dead._

_He hadn’t won yet._

_He needed to win._

He raised his sword up, dead set on delivering the final blow. He could only win when Wilbur was dead. Wilbur needed to die. He wasn’t even fighting back. He was right. This would be easy.

“Techno… Techno, please… no. NO. NO, TECHNO DON’T.” Wilbur started to panic, not able to reach his own sword that he’d dropped when he was struck. He was frozen in fear. Only able to shout for help. “DAD! DAD, HELP PLEASE!” He screamed out, a scared child in that instance. He covered his face and closed his eyes.

Techno thrust his arms down. This was it-

But then they stopped.

He furrowed his brows and tried to push harder but to no avail. It wouldn’t budge. His eyes focused somewhat and he saw what was stopping it. A bloody hand was holding the blade in place inches from Wilbur’s shaking and sobbing body.

The hand wasn’t Wilbur’s, so who…

“That’s enough, Techno.” He gently turned his head, confused. His mind was foggy and he didn’t lower his weapon or weaken his grasp. _Threat_ , the voice in his head growled.

It was Philza. The man gave him a pained smile, blood dripping from his hand and down the blade. It landed on Wilbur's mustard coloured sweater and mixed with the teenage boy’s own bloody stains. It was impossible to tell how much of that belonged to Wilbur and how much belonged to Philza.

To dad.

“It’s okay now, buddy… you’re okay…”

Oh god… dad.

He dropped the sword suddenly but his father kept a hold of it despite the pain he must’ve been in so he could avoid it landing on Wilbur. He threw it as far behind them as he could. His hand was still dripping blood.

Wilbur hadn’t looked up from where he was curled up. Sobbing.

Oh god. Wilbur.

That look… that expression.

It had been terror.

He had been terrified of him. He was still terrified of him. Of course he was still fucking terrified of him. Look what he’d done...

He started shaking, staring down at his hands as the focus in his eyes started to return and the fogginess of his head faded. It pounded instead, flooding with thoughts and feelings that he was too numb to properly digest.

He’d been fighting Wilbur like he was a monster… but he’d been the monster the whole time. The zombie that tore him apart in his nightmares… the creeper that blew him to bits… the enderman who screamed, it was all him. 

He was a monster.

“Techno.” His father said calmly, kindly. What did he do to deserve that? He just nearly killed his son. Yet he was looking at him with that kind but concerned look again. Cupping his cheek with his uninjured hand so he would look at him. “I need you to help me take Wilbur back to camp so I can treat his wounds, can you do that?”

_The wounds that he caused._

Techno nodded numbly and opened his mouth to say something. An affirmative, an apology, _something_ … but nothing came out. Philza hadn’t seemed to be expecting anything however as he just turned to help Wilbur up slowly and support his injured side whilst Techno came to the other. He wasn’t surprised that his brother leaned more against their dad.

He wanted to be as far away from himself as possible too.

As they slowly carried Wilbur back, the sun rose. Around them, they heard monsters cry out in pain as they were slowly rendered to ash by the sunlight hitting their skin.

When Techno felt the sun peek out from between the tree branches and hit his skin as they walked, he found himself honestly surprised that he wasn’t turned into dust along with them. It was what he deserved. It was what all monsters deserved.

He never sparred with Wilbur again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> time passes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> right so i wasn't planning on adding another chapter to this, but here we are!! i definitely don't think there will be anything else on this story, but I'm wondering if i should make a series where i can add stories in the same universe instead? they probably wouldn't really be in chronological order or anything, just little stories that connected. tell me if you guys want to read more!

“Why’s your sword called The Orphan Obliterator, Blade?” Asked a young voice behind the 18-year-old as he worked on his diamond sword over the anvil they had acquired. Now they’d crafted it and set it down there was no way they’d be able to carry it to their next destination, but Techno had been grinding for levels and using it on his sword so much in the past few days that it was almost bust anyway.

He wanted the sword to be perfect, he’d already worked so hard to craft the diamond sword that he wanted any blow with it to be fatal. Then maybe when Dad finally let him visit the Nether he could upgrade it even further.

His mouth smirked and he heard his twin brother snicker as Techno turned to look over his shoulder at their little brother. God, Techno remembered when he was 13. He thought he was so grown up. But looking at Tommy now, he could confidently say that the kid was not an adult.

They found him three years ago, 10 years old and lost deep in the dark oak forest. It had actually been Techno that had officially found him. He’d been clearing the path ahead of monsters since their father’s fighting hand had been… injured.

_Sliced open on a blade._

But that didn’t matter right now. What mattered was that the pigman found a collection of zombies all gathered in one area, only to find that they were all surrounding this dirty little runt of a kid. He was sniffling, damp and cold. Techno cast aside his sword, yelling for his father to come ahead and help.

The idea originally was just to keep Tommy until they found his parents. His town had been raided and they’d stayed to fight, sending him off into the night alone, but when they’d found the village burned to the ground… well, Tommy stayed with them and Philza adopted another son.

“Yeah, Techno…” Wilbur’s voice piped up with a smirk of his own as their father entered the clearing they were camping in after trading with some nearby villagers. Techno’s eyes widened. He didn’t like where this was going.

“Don’t-”

“Why _is_ your sword called The Orphan Obliterator?”

Philza’s head snapped up to look at the three, expression of surprise settling into an unimpressed look. Techno just smiled innocently at his dad whilst the other two snickered in amusement. Dicks.

“It’s the second-worst thing to happen to those orphans?”

“Techno-”

“It’s funny!”

“It’s in bad taste! You know all three of you were orphans before I brought you in, you wouldn’t like it if you’d been obliterated by a diamond sword!” There was a silence that fell over them for a brief moment before it was broken by their father’s stern facade falling a little and the man giving a small chuckle. “I guess it’s a little funny.”

One small chuckle soon turned into full-body laughs for all four of the dysfunctional family, the dark joke brightening the mood of them all. Philza was the first out of the four of them to snap out of the giggles, instead just smiling fondly at his boys as he started to unpack his backpack full of goods for them to eat tonight. The sun wasn’t setting just yet, but Philza started up the fire, you couldn’t be too careful.

Tommy had taken to jokingly challenging Techno to a fight, pulling out his own trusty iron sword and swinging it around a little, pretending to be an orphan in need of murdering. Though Techno watched and laughed he didn’t rise to the bait.

“Come on, orphan killer! Fight me!”

Techno shook his head and returned to sharpening his sword, his chuckling finally dying down along with Wilbur’s. He didn’t want the mood to turn sour so he hoped Tommy would drop the joke. “The fight wouldn’t be fair, my sword is diamond and yours isn’t. Besides, I’m too old to be fighting fifteen-year-olds.”

However, the young teen wasn’t seeming to take no for an answer. “I practise fighting with Dad and Wilbur all the time and dad is older than you! And Wilbur is the same age!”

“Tommy-” This time it was Wilbur that spoke up and Techno kept his gaze down. He knew the look that would be in his eyes, he could never bear to have his brother look at him like that. He missed the days he could never beat Wilbur in a fight, he missed their unbreaking sibling connection. Nowadays, sometimes it just felt like their only connection was through Tommy.

“He could borrow your iron sword, Wilbur! Come on, Blade, you’re the second youngest! Why don’t you ever spar with me?” He could practically hear the pout without looking up. The air suddenly went from being happy and carefree to tense in a few moments, though it was clear that Tommy didn’t sense it. Why would he?

Techno could feel his father’s pitiful gaze from where he was sitting as he set up the fire and he hated it. He hated not being seen as capable.

“Tommy-“ He heard his father try and silence the boy this time, clearly hoping they wouldn’t have to have this argument again. Really, they should just tell the kid… they should just talk about it in general… Techno hasn’t been a part of any conversation about it after it happened. He definitely thought one had happened, but it hadn’t been whilst he was around.

Deciding to make the decision to tell Tommy exactly why they couldn’t spar, settling the elephant in the room, he opened his mouth…

But Wilbur beat him to it.

“Because he’s a monster, Tommy.”

The words were said in a tone so bitter and full of disgust, Techno wasn’t expecting it. Finally, he looked up from where he was sharpening his sword to meet Wilbur’s eyes as the teen had moved to stand just behind Tommy. His hand was placed protectively on his shoulder, pulling him back. Techno was sure his own gaze was full of hurt and surprise, but Wilbur’s were far away. He was clearly remembering something that Techno hardly could. 

He remembered the outcome and the fear in Wilbur’s eyes, but the actual fight… was completely lost to his memory.

Clearly not to Wilbur’s.

“He’s dangerous.”

“Wilbur, what-?” Tommy started to question, clearly startled by both his eldest brother’s sudden appearance behind him and what he had to say. He’d never known Techno as dangerous, and certainly not as a monster. He saved his life on the first day they’d met and he’d always continued to protect them, night and day. Sure he may not be… 100% human, but that didn’t automatically make him a monster like the ones he fought.

“Wilbur.” Their father’s voice was firm, angry, as he stood up and made his way over to them. Techno wished he didn’t. Techno wished everyone would back up a little. His head was running a million miles a minute and he couldn’t keep up with it. “Don’t you dare talk about your brother that way! Never mind talking about him like that to Tommy! His view of his older brother doesn’t need to be spoiled by something that happened _three years ago_!”

All Philza’s words did was rile Wilbur up further. “Dad, he tried to kill me! Your golden boy here _tried to kill me_ because he was tired of me winning! And what did you do? You gave him a slap on the wrist! If that had been me-”

“You’d have known better not to!”

“Why do you always tell me off for feeling like this? Dad, he sliced my side open! Hell, he sliced your hand open!”

“I put my hand in the way of the blade-”

“And he didn’t stop pushing!” Wilbur’s eyes turned back to Techno briefly and oh… now they weren’t far away and fogged over with memory, now they were burning full of rage. Rage at him. The eldest brother pulled Tommy back a bit more and turned the kid so he was looking at him instead of Techno. Poor kid’s eyes were full of confusion and regret. “Tommy, you remember the day we found you? Techno was killing all the monsters ahead?” Tommy nodded slowly. “Remember how Dad’s hand was all wrapped up and shaky? And we had to stop a lot because I needed to sit down?”

“Wilbur, that’s enough,” Philza spoke, voice firm but quiet now. He wasn’t shouting anymore. 

“Yes, Wil… I remember.”

“Techno did that. Techno did those things to us. He’s the reason Dad has a tremor in his hand, he’s the reason I have a massive scar on my side.” Wilbur looked back over at Techno and the pigman had to look away, feeling like all of his insecurities were showing. “We don’t spar with Techno.”

Tommy suddenly pulled his way out of Wilbur’s grasp. “Techno would never! He saved my life! If he was a monster he would’ve killed me, stop lying to me! Dad, sure Wilbur is lying! Tell him!”

All three of the boys’ eyes flickered over to their father. Techno hadn’t noticed just until now how much the man’s hand did shake. Wilbur was right, he had done that… How had he not noticed, not made the connection?

He’d thought that their father trusted him to protect the family… That he’d passed the mantle down because Techno was ready. That he knew he’d protect them no matter what but instead, was it really that he had no other choice? Was it really that Techno had damaged his dominant hand so badly that Philza couldn’t swing a sword like he used to be able to?

Philza took in a deep breath. “Tommy…” He didn’t deny it. Techno knew it happened, he knew that but for a moment… he was hoping his father would deny it did. Convince them all it was just a bad dream. “I didn’t want to tell you…”

“Dad…” Techno whispered. Did he think he was a monster as well? His father turned to him then, that same pained smile as three years ago coming onto his features. It was almost funny that he couldn’t remember the fight, but that pained expression would be etched into his brain forever.

The man said nothing.

Techno stood suddenly, grip on his diamond sword tight as he picked it up off of the anvil as a reflex not to go anywhere without his weapon, and his chest became tight when all three members of his family immediately took a step back. Especially when Philza automatically threw his hand in front of his youngest son in defence. He must’ve seen the heartbreak on Techno’s face before he could cover it up because their father was immediately pulling his arm back from Tommy as if he was trying to take the action back.

He was right. Dad didn’t trust him with a weapon either.

“Techno…”

He stormed past them, cape flowing behind him at the pace he was walking at. He didn’t want to run. They’d know how he felt if he ran. He just needed to get out of this clearing fast.

He didn’t look back as he heard Philza and Wilbur start up an argument yet again. Maybe if he had he would’ve seen Tommy almost follow him out of the clearing, wanting to apologise for starting this mess to begin with. Instead, all he heard was a sad ‘blade?’ and that was enough to push him to go.

\--

Techno didn’t find himself walking that far, his feet carrying him to another smaller clearing nearby that he wasn’t sure how he knew about. He hadn’t travelled this way since setting up camp. He’d been too busy trading for enchanted books and fighting for levels to explore like he used to… too busy protecting his family…

What was the point in pretending anymore? His family would rather have anyone else sleeping in their camp, eating their food, and swinging around an enchanted diamond sword. No wonder they stayed so far behind when he went scouting ahead, they were afraid his brain would confuse family for monster again…

The worst part was that… it had.

When he first saw Tommy, curled up in crying and surrounded by now dead monsters, he didn’t notice Techno at first. Which was good because Techno didn’t see Tommy either. Techno saw yet another monster he needed to eliminate. He remembered raising his sword in sweet anticipation, his mouth turning into that sick smirk before suddenly the boy’s head popped up from inside his hands.

Techno had no idea how little Tommy didn’t see a monster there in front of him, weapon raised high. Maybe he was just so desperate for help… or maybe he was too young to pick up on the threatening stance he was in. But instead of cowering more or screaming for help, he was on his feet immediately and running at him faster than Techno could swing. 

He was so glad he didn’t because it wasn’t an attack… it was a hug.

“Thank you.” He remembered the boy crying, weeping into his shirt. Techno dropped his sword and yelled for their dad immediately, realising yet again what he’d almost done. He couldn’t be alone with this kid. He didn’t want to hurt him.

He didn’t tell the others. He was afraid that if he did, they wouldn’t let Tommy stay with them. He’d missed having a brother that didn’t see him as a threat.

He supposed he didn’t have that anymore.

He hadn’t realised just how much that day had affected Wilbur… They’d never spoken about it. Sure, his big brother would side-eye him when he was wielding a sword and never asked to spar with him again, but…

But they also joked and teased each other like always. They stayed up through the late hours of the night telling stories that would be worth it even when Dad told them off for being tired the next morning. They stole bites of food from one another and slept in the same sleeping bag when they were cold.

Techno thought he was still his brother. He thought Wilbur saw him as his brother… not a monster.

It was silly of him to think that he’d just gotten over it, wasn’t it?

Techno was pulled from his thoughts by his foot hitting something hard and metallic so he looked down. He couldn’t see anything from the overgrown grass, so he squatted down and started to pull the weeds off of whatever was hidden here. Finally, he cleared enough to see… a sword handle?

He set his own weapon into his scabbard and grabbed the hilt of the hidden sword, standing straight as he pulled so he could untangle it from where the land had grown over it. It took some significant strength, but eventually, he pulled out a rusted iron sword from the overgrowth.

His brows furrowed as he looked it up and down. Who would’ve just… discarded an iron sword in the middle of a clearing. It must’ve been lost. 

He normally would just discard it again, it was just trash left here after all, but a voice in his head demanded he looked closer. So he did.

The blade wasn't just discoloured with rust and dirt, he realised, but there was evidence of dried blood on it too. This sword was used in a fight probably at the same time it was just abandoned. He smiled a little, he wondered if the reason it had been left here to become one with the land is if it had been a part of an intense duel, where it’s owner did not make it out alive and his sword was left here. Forgotten. Perhaps if he checked the hilt there would be a name, he always used to put his-

_Technoblade._

Written surprisingly clear despite the wear, there was his own name on this sword. Just like that, the distraction he found vanished and he realised why he recognised this seemingly unspecial clearing. It seemed not even the land wanted him to forget his mistakes. His crimes.

Dad had thrown it to the side after taking it from him, he didn’t realise he’d just left it here for the earth to swallow up. He hadn’t really thought about it.

He ran his thumb over his own name carved into the side. Dad had carved it there. It had been a gift.

He wanted to throw it so hard no one would ever find it again but was hiding his actions really the answer here? If he threw this and returned back to camp, what would that achieve? They’d play happy family and little while more until Wilbur snapped again, Tommy was terrified of him, and Philza asked him to leave?

No.

Might as well deal with the truth now.

He thrust the sword into the earth upright with force, the same finishing blow he’d almost dealt to both of his brothers now and permanently injured his father with before removing his cloak.

A deep red with a soft off white fur decorating the collar. From far away, you’d think it was impressive, almost royal, but really it was just made out of scraps and safety pins. A gift his father put together. The man might know how to sew up flesh, but clothing had never been his strong suit.

It had been a gift for his seventeenth birthday, a few months after he’d found a crown and declared it to be his. He wore it as a joke over his brothers at first but then he never really removed it. The crown became a comfort. He liked the way the gold shimmered, and so the cloak was to go with it. A king, Dad had called him. 

He never took the cloak off either. He wore them both with pride.

Techno gently draped his favourite gift over the sword before removing the crown and staring at it. If he was a bigger man he’d leave the crown too. But he still liked the way it shimmered. It was the only comfort he had left. 

He put it back on his head and shivered at the sudden cold. He missed his cloak already, but he soldiered on. He unsheathed his sword before moving ahead only to stop when he heard Tommy shouting for him. 

He stared at his cloak and the rusty sword then at the forest behind him where he could hear his brother looking for him and then the cloak again. He turned back ahead of him and carried on.

He didn’t look back again. They didn’t need him. They were better off without him. Tommy, Wilbur… Dad.

They were all better off without him.

He hardly noticed the tears streaming down his face or the slowly fading yells of his family searching for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading! i hope you enjoyed this! and if you came from my tiktok then an extra special hello to you :)  
> tell me if you're interested in a series of more fics in the comments

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys liked it, there shouldn't be any major spelling issues but tell me if there is and leave a comment if you enjoyed it! They make me happy :)


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